By Dustin Cabeal
Cast No Shadow surprised me in many ways. It wasn’t until nearly the end that I figured out where the story was going and even then, I was left with some unanswered questions, that may never be answered.
Read MoreCast No Shadow surprised me in many ways. It wasn’t until nearly the end that I figured out where the story was going and even then, I was left with some unanswered questions, that may never be answered.
Read MoreI admit I wasn’t too impressed with the first issue of this series. It made me worry if I’d even like the movie at all, to be honest. Then the official trailer dropped and my interest rose again and now, after reading My Little Pony Movie Prequel #2 I am once again curious about this upcoming big screen adventure. While the book is aimed at younger readers and as such certain points are hammered into the ground, the overall story told is well-paced and matched with nice artwork. This series is not a bad lead-up to the movie if you’re looking for some background before heading to theaters.
Read MoreWhile still slim on details and purposely vague on hidden agendas, Beautiful Canvas #2 does enough to maintain the promise and expectations that the first issue started. Although the reader will eventually need some answers, as of now simply being a part of this intricate plot thread and amazing characters is enough to satisfy for a little while longer.
Read MoreIt’s really hard to pick a favorite issue in this series, each one is great and amazing to read. Though, I can’t deny being biased towards Injustice 2 #6 since it has many things I enjoy. I love Supergirl, I love an origin story, and I love how this explains why she’s in the video game at all -and where she has been all this time. Unlike most Supergirl stories, Kara has not landed in a safe space where her cousin can show her the ropes, this alternate universe is harsh and unforgiving. This issue has action mixed in with a touching plot that helps build the world up around the characters.
Read MoreHere it is, Destroyer #3 brings some much needed backstory on some of the key characters in this series. I will admit I’ve been on the fence as I read the series, I liked it well enough but felt something was missing, and this was it. I wanted to know more about what lead Dr. Baker to where she is now most of all. While this issue is mainly backstory focused there is some action and violence but overall not as bad as previous issues in that regard though I do think things are really amping up to get messy.
Read MoreRoyal City #5 marks the end of the first story arc. Although, that is perhaps a loose definition. Because, though the stakes are higher this time around, I didn't find this issue to be distinctly more revelatory or terminating than any previous issue. I don't mean that as a bad thing either. I tore through this issue, enjoying every moment of my reading. And when I realized I was at the end, I only wanted more. But, it looks like we'll have to wait for October for the next arc, where Lemire sends us back to 1993 and the final days of Tommy Pike. However, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's on the issue at hand. Namely, issue #5 of Royal City.
Read MoreMy last experience with Ales Kot's work was dropping his series Wolf after issue #7. And, that's actually kind of funny to me. Because, that was the book that got me going back into my local comic shop for the first time in a few years. I had picked up the first issue the day it came out after I saw it advertised in an email from Comixology (which at that point I had only really used to get a few free comics). It was a decompressed and oblique read, but it was still interesting enough for me to want to come back for the next installment. Unfortunately, the more I read of it, the more Kot seemed to prioritize showing disparate elements of the world he'd created over tying together the plot threads he continued to introduce and leave hanging. And when some connections were finally made, it was too little, too late, and not satisfying. So like I said, I eventually dropped it. But at that point, I was already reading a few other books I'd found and decided to pick up as well when coming into the shop for Wolf. So like it or not, Ales Kot played a catalytic part in my relationship with comics. Without him, I very well might not be writing this review right now, and perhaps that's the biggest reason I wanted to look at Generation Gone.
Read MorePrometheus is the ancient Greek Titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humankind. In many ways, creator Ryan Little and his team are trying to do something similar in bestowing the public with some good old-fashioned revenge entertainment. While Little’s work isn’t quite as grand as the advent of fire, it’s still pretty good and certainly worth a flip-through. I just hope his Prometheus doesn’t meet the same fate as the Titan who inspired it.
Read MoreNever judge a comic by its title. That is going to be very hard to do with Time & Vine because it is very cheesy. IDW has been pumping out new IP’s, collecting web series and reprinting forgotten titles as they expand their IP’s outside of the world of comics. It’s a smart move, and one that I’m sure has helped a lot of creators see their work displayed on a bigger platform. Sadly, for me, I haven’t enjoyed any of the titles I’ve read. Granted, I haven’t read them all but damn near. That was, until, Time & Vine, which seems like a web comic collection. I don’t know that for sure, but that’s the vibe I got.
Read MoreThe first issue of Clue left two players dead, and Clue #2 promises to add to the body count. With a cast of colorful characters trapped in a large mansion full of secrets and numerous items that can be used as weapons, this dark and stormy night might prove lethal for everyone involved. Based on the beloved game of the same name, this series is witty and fun while also having plenty of mystery to it. Readers are in the dark of the true motives of everyone involved adding to the suspense though the only character who knows everything, Mr. Boddy, is unfortunately dead so it’s up to the guests to get to the bottom of everything along with readers.
Read MoreBy now, you’re all tired of me talking about this book. I promise not to say, “I swear this book doesn’t need my review” this time around. It will be short and sweet because hey, it’s the end of the first arc and it’s chalk full of good stuff!
Read MoreKill the Minotaur #2 continues to be one of the most surprising books out there. A well worn out tale, this story really has no place being interesting. We all know what happens with the Minotaur and Theseus. But Kill The Minotaur #2 does enough to deviate from the norm, introducing the concept that Theseus is possibly not going to be the hero king we all expect him to and showing it’s sci-fi horror roots, to make the book amazing and one of the best reads this week.
Read MoreA few years ago this title would have been right at home at a different publisher. Slap some sexy variants on it and bang; you have a cover book with little to no substance inside. The crazy thing is, they don’t even publish books like this anymore.
Read MoreMan, this book is weird. And I mean that in the best possible way. Jim Mahfood has created an amazing world of action and excessive drug use and revenge and ancient prophecies and secret organizations and internet obsession. Grrl Scouts: Magic Socks #3 is balls-to-the-wall weird/wacky/crazy but this issue kind of feels like a needed step back from a story that’s been going over 100 MPH since it started. For some reason this book gives me hard 90’s nostalgia. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the way the Freak City is portrayed as big and mean and dirty and covered in graffiti like I always thought the “big city” would be when I was growing up. Or maybe it’s because there were quite a few montage scenes in this issue and I automatically associate movies with montage scenes to my childhood hood. Again, I don’t know why my brain works the way it does.
Read MoreIf you’ve followed the site and my podcasts for a while now, then you can count on three things when I talk/review a Dynamite comic. The first is that I never go easy on them (nor anyone for that matter). The second is that I’ll always give them a chance. The last isn’t really a rule of thumb or anything, but I’m rarely impressed with their licensed work… which is most of their publishing slate.
Read MoreWith Telsa drowning, Andy and crew engaged in a heated space fight with the Hardwire fleet, and Tim-21 held hostage by the Hardwire Descender #22 begins the much-publicized “Rise of the Robots” arc. Dustin Nguyen continues to deliver some of the best and unique visuals in any book right now and Jeff Lemire’s plot doesn’t deviate too much and delivers a straightforward and surprising set-up issue.
Read MoreI wish that I had written my prediction down for “Over The Edge” because I would impress no one right about now. I still would have guessed correctly, but I think that most anyone that’s been reading Archie regularly and understands bad TV drama could figure this one out from the solicits.
Read MoreNo, I am not taking a piss. KFC: Across The Universe is getting a serious review. I’m not likely to score this one since it’s free and I didn’t even pay attention to how you can get it for yourself. What I love about this is that it highlights DC’s new attitude, which is pretty much, “Fuck it, we’ll try it.” And I love that. This is something that only exists because of comic books, but then also only exists because it’s a comic book. You would never get a GL/CS commercial because it would just be a confusing mess to explain and probably cost way too much to do properly. That and the Hal Jordan/Green Lantern brand is damaged at the moment when it comes to the silver screen.
Read MoreFor nearly a decade, a friend and I have been working our way through Smallville, The CW's melodrama starring Tom Welling as a hormonal, somewhat simpleminded Clark Kent. My friend and I live hours apart, but we find time every few months to meet somewhere and watch a couple episodes. (We recently finished the ninth season, and I am very excited to start the final season soon.) It has been a rocky journey. We had to endure the infuriating awkwardness of teenage Clark; the inclusion of one-shot villains like Alicia Baker, a lovestruck high schooler who surprises young Clark with both kryptonite and sex; and, more recently, the inability of the show's writers to reconcile their desire to highlight Lois Lane's confidence and their knee-jerk assumption that every season needs a Damsel in Distress.We watch Smallville because we appreciate the fun absurdity of melodrama, and I recommend Captives for the same reason.
Read MoreThis was probably not the book to read this week for me. I just watched Alien: Covenant aka Alien: Whatever This Bullshit Is. Let me tell you, watching Ridley Scott make the same fucking movie again, but then also shitting on anything good you could pull from Prometheus at the same time.
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